Duality
by Sekhmet and Susano-o
Summary: AU/Continuation of canon. Five years after the events of Zexal and Astral gaining his human form, a post college girl and an ethereal alien are learning to live and love each other, one duel and paycheck at a time.
1. Prologue

**Sekhmet: So this is my first solo story published here. This started out as a continuation of canon Zexal, but due to me not being able to leave canon alone, it became an AU. **

**Some things to note are as follows: The AU part of this comes in where Astral never left at the end of Zexal, and chose to stay with Yuma, eventually gathering the first 100 Number Cards and being granted a physical form. After that, they acted much like Dragon Balls where they sealed themselves up and dispersed, and that was thought to be the end of it. **

**Unfortunately, this is not that story. Five years later, enter Mizuki Funai, a post college girl with enough weariness to depress a genki girl. You'll see why later. **

**There's actually not much else for me to say. The premise is very simple: Collect the Numbers and see what happens. With that said, let's get into Duality. **


	2. Rank 1: First Contact

Rank 1: First Contact

"Fuck you, Mizuki, I win!" A young black haired boy cheered, as he slammed down a "Bujintei Kagatsuchi".

"Of course you win, Naoko. You always win." Mizuki Funai, an exhausted, long black haired 20 year old sighed as she swept up her deck. She was a crap duelist through and through, but a part of her was just willing to let him win. Her older brother was completely overeager in duels, and it would get him out of the house faster.

"Thanks for the duel, little sister! See you around!" Naoko grinned, ruffling her hair much to her chargrin, and walking out of the door of her cramped one room apartment. Mizuki groaned, put her "Guardians of Egypt" deck away, and went to sleep in her bed. It wasn't even that late, but Mizuki had work in the morning, and she hated one of her coworkers with an unusual hatred, so she needed all the rest she needed.

...

A scared, pregnant Mizuki stood on the edge of a cliff in front of a black hole-like pit. She'd been having this dream for the past few days, and she was sick of it.

"What do you want from me?!" She screamed. "Why am I here! I can't get pregnant! Stop doing this!"

The black hole simply glowed overwhelmingly bright, and encompasses the area.

...

Mizuki woke up in a cold sweat due to her alarm, and immediately checked her stomach. A little fat, but still very not pregnant. Thank god.

She got up and ready for her day, eating her bowl of rice and feeding the leftovers to her calico cat, Momo. After brushing her teeth and getting into an all black outfit with a matching visor and twisting her hair into a low bun, she headed out.

Taking the A Train into the city, she nearly missed her stop due to falling asleep. But in the end, she made it to the McDonalds and clocked in. It said something about how much Mizuki hated her coworker when her favorite part of her job was the fact that she got to her job an hour before her.

Lived Chalmers (Mizuki refused to believe that it was her real name.) was a truly miserable human being, and the classic American stereotype. A high school age transfer from the land of the free, she was loud, standoffish, entitled as hell, loved to boss her coworkers around despite being in the second lowest position in the chain, and was just a bitch to a T. The worst part in Mizuki's opinion is that when anyone but the owner objected to her commands, they were met with hostility, an infuriating dismissal of "Attitude!", or both. It made Mizuki's blood boil. While she was a bitch to everyone, she took a particular dislike to Mizuki, trying to get her into any trouble she could and boxing her into the register, refusing to let her help with running of food to customers. You know, the one thing that Mizuki was supposed to do while not taking orders. Long story short, Lived was the reason Mizuki questioned why she was still here.

"Mizuki? Are you ok?" Cho Fukuda, the newest hire, asked. "You look like you're about to explode."

Mizuki took a deep breath to calm herself. "I'm fine." She growled.

"Hey! No socializing on the job! Get back to work!" Lived snapped from the drive through window.

"Yeah yeah yeah. There's no orders, it's breakfast." Mizuki waves off.

"Attitude!" Lived snapped.

"_Fuck the hell off you bitch." _Mizuki thought. Today was gonna be a bad day, she could feel it.

...

Mizuki's shift was almost over, and she was ready to go home. She told her manager that she was leaving in ten minutes, and she was acknowledged. That's when all hell broke loose.

"Mizuki! Get on register, you've got customers!" Lived snapped, pointing to a register that had no pending customers.

"There are no customers that need to be served. The last customer was served a few minutes ago." Mizuki said. She must have been referring to customers who were eating in the front lobby.

"Too bad! And quit it with the attitude or I'll get you written up for malicious intent!" Lived said.

Mizuki didn't know what made her snap, as the lunch rush was yet to come and she had only messed up one order. But she snapped HARD.

"You know what? I'm getting sick and tired of YOUR attitude. You have no right to treat me with such disrespect." She growled.

"How dare you! I've worked here for years longer than you!" Was the best that Lived could come up with.

"That still doesn't give you the right to treat me like crap. You think you're so great just because you don't deal with customers directly, but you're not."

"Shut up! You can't treat me like this!" Lived all but screamed.

"Welcome to the real world, you snot nosed brat." Mizuki said. At this, Lived left her station and grabbed Mizuki's shirt and made a gesture to punch her. "Do it. I've got nothing to lose." Mizuki said.

"Hey! No fighting in front of the customers! This isn't Waffle House!" Daisuke Edo, The leading manager said, separating the two. "You two are gonna settle this like adults, with a Duel tomorrow morning. Loser gets their shift changed and a write up."

Lived sneered. "You're dead meat, Funai. I'll wipe the floor with you."

"Whatever." Mizuki glared back. She clocked out and left, fuming.

...

Mizuki was freaking out on the train ride home. How was she gonna win? Her deck was outdated trash.

On the way back from the station, Mizuki stopped by the Mishami Bakery to gawk at the cakes. Knowing deep down that she couldn't afford a slice, she simply left.

When she got home, there was a giant blue flower like chrysalis in her one available clean spot in her apartment. Suspended in it seemed to be a vaguely humanoid figure.

At first, Mizuki just froze. She had seen enough horror movies to assume where this kind of thing could go. Without taking her eyes off the chrysalis, she grappled for a nearby scarf and wrapped it around her head, covering up all possible orifices. Slowly she approached the chrysalis, and saw that Momo wasn't at all perturbed by the new addition to the clutter.

The instant Mizuki put her fingers on the chrysalis, it glowed bright and shattered, throwing her back against the wall. She patted herself down, and felt no wounds or anything out of place. At this relief, she went to look at where the chrysalis had been. There wasn't any damage to the floor, but there was a necklace. The charm was a golden bird with four wings. Mounted in the middle was a small blue crystal.

Mizuki shrugged, and put it on. If she was gonna die tomorrow, she would do it at work and unleash whatever monster clawed it's way out of her on Lived.

Mizuki spent the rest of the night preparing for the duel. She went over all the combos that netted together to form something of a strategy, and fell asleep on top of her deck.

...

The dream happened again, but this time, the black hole spoke.

"In order to unlock this power, you must sacrifice what is most important to you. Do you have the courage to do so?"

Mizuki was sick and tired of having this dream. "If it'll get this to stop happening, anything!" Having nothing to put in the black hole, and knowing that falling in a dream would wake her up, Mizuki flung herself off the cliff. The black hole fed back blue energy that completely engulfed her.

She woke up the next day, the bed soaked in sweat.

...

Mizuki showed up to the duel the with a battered Duel Disk, her coworkers for that shift in a circle, and Asami Hirota, the cruel elderly owner of the store stood halfway between Mizuki and Lived, who had a murderous grin on her face.

"Alright you two, since you're going to fight like children, you'll resolve this and be punished like children. You know how duels work, and what's at stake for both of you should you lose. Shift changes will be arranged for next week onwards. Get back to work once this is over, you're wasting my time." She said cruelly, and walked into the store.

"You're fucked." Lived grinned. Mizuki said nothing, just glared. She put on her Duel Gazer, allowing her to see the rapidly assembling AR field.

"Duel!" (LP: 4000)

"I'm gonna make you uglier, bitch!" Lived snarked. "I summon 'Digital Bug Websolder' in Attack Mode!" An electronic spider appeared on the field. (500/1500)

"Once per turn, I can change him to Defense position, and if I do, I can summon another level 3 Insect from my hand. So come on out, 'Digital Bug Centibit'!" An electronic centipede appeared. (1500/500)

"Now I overlay my level 3 'Digital Bugs Websolder And Centibit' to form an Overlay Network and-" Lived seemed to freeze and stagger a bit before continuing her move. "And XYZ Summon Number 20: Giga Brilliant!"

The two monsters turned into balls of light and got sucked into a portal, which exploded to reveal a large pink and white locust with a praying mantis head. (1800/1800) A large 20 appeared on Lived's hand.

"Since I can't attack on the first turn, I'll just set these two facedowns and end my turn." She sneered.

"_What the fuck is that?!" _Mizuki asked herself. "_I've never even heard of that monster!" _She composed herself. It only had 1800 Attack after all.

"My frontrunners have more Attack than that!" She said, drawing. "And I'll prove it! I summon 'Horus, Guardian of Egypt' in Attack Mode!"

A young falcon headed man holding an ankh appeared on the field. (1900/1600) "And to boot, his attack is doubled during my Battle Phase." Horus glowed red and screeched. (1900-3800/1600) "Now go, Attack Giga Brilliant with Sun Cutter!"

Horus blasted a scythe like blade of energy from his Uraeus. (Lived's LP: 4000-2000) However, the monster wasn't destroyed. "What gives?!" Mizuki asked.

Lived laughed. "A Number monster can only be destroyed by another Number monster you idiotic whore!" Giga Brilliant seemed to chitter in laughter as well.

Mizuki growled. "I set two cards facedown and end my turn." "_How is this fair?! I don't have any XYZ Monsters, let alone a special Number Card." _

"As you should. I use both of Giga Brilliant's Overlay Units to give it 600 extra Attack!" Lived cackled. (1800-2400/1800) "Go, Attack her turkey! Chittering Bite!"

Giga Brilliant flew over and chomped Horus in half. (Mizuki's LP: 4000-3700)

"_What am I gonna do? That thing will take a huge chomp outta me next turn!"_ Mizuki asked herself. "_And with no way to stop it, I could lose this duel, or worse, lose my job!"_

"**You overthink." **A voice called out. Mizuki looked around in confusion, and froze at what she saw.

Floating above her was what she could only describe as a Space Nymph. She-at least Mizuki thought it was a she, as it had what appeared to be small breasts and a feminine voice- was a lithe blue skinned humanoid with green markings and dark blue jewels in her skin. Her short shaggy hair was swept to the side and two long bangs hung from her head. All in all, Mizuki was in awe. "**Actually, you are in a good position to win this duel." **

"What are you talking about? Who ARE you?!" Mizuki asked.

"Hey bitch! Quit hallucinating your stupid shadow people like you always do to get outta work! We're doin something here and I will NOT be ignored!" Lived all but shrieked.

"**I am...Cosmo." **The nymph said, seeming to struggle to remember the fact.

"So are you like, a Guardian angel?" Mizuki asked.

"**No, I don't think so." **Cosmo said.

"I refuse to be ignored! Play your pathetic cards so I can crush you like the bug you are!" Lived screamed.

"Geez, she's more pissed off than usual. Anyway, we can talk about this later, but what did you mean by being in a good position?" Mizuki asked.

"**You have all the pieces to win this duel." **Cosmo said simply.

"Yeah, but can you elaborate on that? I mean, I don't have one of those stupid Number monsters, how am I gonna get past that if she puts it in Defense mode?" Mizuki asked.

"**Look in your Extra Deck." **Cosmo insisted. Mizuki didn't understand, she didn't HAVE an Extra Deck, her deck was a Tribute engine. In her hand, a card materialized from starlight. It was hard to make out. "**That card will be the keystone of your victory." **

Mizuki thought she could get this thing out. All she had to do was trust in the living glow stick. Easy enough in dire circumstances. But first, an effect needed to be resolved.

"When 'Horus, Guardian of Egypt' is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon 'Ra, Guardian of Egypt' from my hand or Graveyard!" Mizuki announced, playing the monster from her hand. A much larger falcon headed man appeared with a deafening roar. (3500/2000) "And when he's on the field, no 'Guardian of Egypt' monsters can be destroyed by battle."

"Big fuckin deal! He still can't destroy Giga Brilliant!" Lived laughed. "I play one card facedown and end my turn."

"I draw!" Mizuki said. "I summon 'Anubis, Guardian of Egypt' in Attack Mode!" A jackal headed man with a crook emerged. (1700/1500) "And when he's summoned, I can Special Summon a 'Guardian of Egypt' monster from my Graveyard in face up Defense Mode! So come on back Horus!" (1900/1600)

"**Good. Now summon the card and play your Field Spell." **Cosmo said.

"I overlay my level 4 Anubis and Horus! With these two monsters, I build my own Overlay Network, and XYZ Summon Bennu, Guardian of Egypt!"

From the heavens of the portal emerged a giant bird that looked like a cross between a Heron and a Shoebill wearing an Egyptian crown. It cawed a mighty caw. (2500/1500)

"Woah. Never thought that this deck would make for an XYZ engine. Anyway, now I play the field spell 'Into the Duat'!" Mizuki continued. The field was flooded with water as a tropical river overtook the field. "With this in play, all 'Guardian of Egypt' monsters gain 1000 Attack and Defense Points!" (2500-3500/1500-2500)(3500-4500/2000-3000) "Now go Bennu! Attack Giga Brilliant with Creation Blast!"

Bennu shed bladed feathers and speared Giga Brilliant. It persisted, but the damage still went through. (Lived's LP: 2000-900)

"No! I can't lose! I REFUSE!" Lived screeched.

"Too bad! Ra! Attack Giga Brilliant! Sunrise, High Noon, Sunset!"

Ra wound up his arm and slammed down on Giga in a blazing arc. (Lived's LP: 900-0. Winner: Mizuki)

Mizuki was in such shock that she had actually won the duel that she didn't register that Lived had attacked her until she had punched her a second time, at which point she put her hands up in defense.

"You motherfucker! How dare you defy me!" She screamed, punching blindly until her coworkers pried her off. Mizuki was a bit dazed, but she overheard Asami, who had been watching the duel from inside, fire her on the spot. Mizuki was reluctantly sent home when she showed signs of a concussion.

While Mizuki was being assaulted, Cosmo willed the Number card towards her with a beckoning gesture. It floated out of Lived and into her hand. She stored it away for safekeeping.

...

"So what are you really?" Mizuki asked. Cosmo floated next to her as she walked down the street to the train stop. She proudly toted her payday check in her hands.

"**I am not sure what a human would call me." **Cosmo said. "**I am not sure of much at all." **

"What do you remember then?" Mizuki asked.

"**All I remember is that I was sent here for a reason, but I seem to have forgotten." **Cosmo said.

"Well it must not have been very important if you've forgotten." Mizuki said. The two passed by the Mishami Bakery, and Mizuki was instantly distracted. In the front window was an absolutely decadent looking triple layer chocolate cake. However, she knew better than to blow her paycheck on cake, and passed by.

"**You had a great desire for that object. Why did you not aquirre it?" **Cosmo asked.

"It's just not viable with how I live. I don't get paid a lot, I can't afford to have one. Not yet anyway." Mizuki said.

"**Afford? I am not familiar with that concept." **Cosmo said.

"The world revolves around money." Mizuki said, holding up her wallet. "Having enough money to buy something and not be guilty about it is being able to afford it."

"**Very interesting, but it's a sad concept as well." **Cosmo said.

"Yeah. You don't have to wait too long to see an example, I'm going grocery shopping tomorrow." Mizuki said. "I need food after all."

"**Food?"** Cosmo asked.

"...yeah? Do you not eat?" Mizuki asked.

"**I'm not sure." **Cosmo said.


	3. Rank 2: The Come Up

Rank 2: The Come Up

"**I thought you said that we were going to a 'Groccery Store' today." **Cosmo asked.

"We are. But I gotta do my shift first. Like I said last night, money is important." Mizuki said. She arrived at the McDonalds right on time.

"Hey guys, what's up?" Mizuki asked. The people on front counter, including Cho, just stared. Mizuki laughed nervously. "Guys? What's up?"

"Didn't you hear the news? You were fired yesterday." Cho stammered.

"Good one, Cho. Come on, I gotta clock in." Mizuki said, trying to play it off.

"She's not kidding." Daisuke said from behind the grill. "Asami said it was because of the fight, but we all know she fired you because you beat Lived in the duel yesterday."

Mizuki has a moment where her spirit broke. Fired for beating the Boss's pet in a duel? She had heard of such things, but never thought Asami would be so cruel.

"How could she do that?!" Mizuki asked, utterly broken.

"I'm sorry, but she's the boss. I have no say in it." Daisuke said. It was then that Mizuki devised a plan. It was stupid and horrible, but if Asami wanted to treat her like this, then so be it.

"Can I at least get ten of each sauce then? I'm gonna need them to flavor my rice." Mizuki said.

"Yeah. She's not in today, so don't worry about it." Cho said, and handed her a big bag of sauces.

"Hey, I just remembered that I left my hat in the back room yesterday. Is it ok if I go get it?" Mizuki asked.

"Yeah, sure. Just be quick, you're technically not supposed to be in there." Daisuke said.

"I won't be more than ten minutes. You know how cluttered it is back there." Mizuki said, and scooted back past the grill to a small room. Inside was a bunch of employee stuff, hats and uniforms mostly, but more importantly, it had the ventilation system's only accessible point to employees, and wasn't monitored via camera. Mizuki took off the lid and started dumping one of each packet of sauce into the shaft. "_Sorry about this, guys. Asami's gotta pay." _

"**Are you sure this is the best course of action?" **Cosmo asked.

"Is it stupid? Absolutely. Will I get arrested for saucing the vents? Probably not. Call this petty revenge, not just for me, but for everyone." Mizuki whispered.

"**I do not understand." **Cosmo said.

"Lived was a bitch to everyone, that much is certain. But it was Asami who let it happen. Lived had Asami under her thumb for whatever reason, and she didn't fire her then. Basically what happened is that she let her favorite bully her coworkers, to the point where if she has to fire her, she'll fire whomever made her do it." Mizuki said, pouring the last sauce in. She stuffed the containers back in the bag and grabbed a hat off the rack. She said a final goodbye to her coworkers and left, secretly brimming with anger. With any luck, those sauces will rot in there and stink up the whole place.

"**I can't help but think that this was a bad move." **Cosmo said as the two walked down the street. Well, Mizuki walked down the street while Cosmo floated.

"What are they gonna do, fire me? They already did that." Mizuki said. "Either way, I guess I'm going shopping today. I'll look into job openings online too."

"**Why is a job crucial?" **Cosmo asked.

"It's one of the only ways to get money, and like I said, money makes the world go round." Mizuki said. "Money's used to pay bills, get food, and just survive in general. And speaking of food, we're gonna have to go cheap for a while, at least until I can find another job."

The two approaches a small grocery store, Tanaka's. Inside, Mizuki picked up 3 ten pound bags of brown rice, a few fruits and vegetables, cat food for Momo, eggs, butter, milk, and salt. This would easily last her two months at minnimum.

"So you don't eat, so you probably don't poop either. Do you sleep at all?" Mizuki asked, toting her groceries to the train station.

"**What is sleep?" **Cosmo asked.

"It's when you put yourself unconscious for eight hours so your body can repair itself. It's one of the best things to exist." Mizuki said.

"**That sounds dangerous and borderline lethal." **Cosmo said.

"Not at all. It's one of the safest things you can do." Mizuki said. She boarded the train. The car was mostly empty, save for a couple young boys and their mother. The kids were dueling, and out of curiosity, Mizuki switched on her gazer. Juraccs vs Wind-Ups. Interesting.

The rest of the day was uneventful, Mizuki went through job listings and picked out a couple of office jobs and a sub shop that were local. She updated her resume and sent it in, and then made herself dinner in the rice cooker.

She didn't have the dream that night.

...

A few days later, while checking the balance on her bank account and charting out a budget for the foreseeable future, she got a call for one of the office jobs she applied for, the starting Office Manager position. It was dull cubicle work, but it was triple, almost quadruple her hourly pay from before, and much better conditions. She got ready and headed to the office, which was a few streets down, almost immediately.

"**Why is this job better than your last one?" **Cosmo asked.

"It pays better, has better conditions too. All jobs are not created equal. For reference, before I met you, I was working for the most god awful job that you can get. Lowest of the low." Mizuki said. She was making an extreme effort to not ruin her one nice pantsuit. "I was miserable back there."

"**Miserable? I don't understand." **Cosmo said.

"Being miserable is more than a regular sadness. It's a mix of sadness, anger, and contempt. It's when nothing goes as planned. It's when you're set to win a duel, and then your opponent craps out a Mirror Force and forces you to start over from square one." Mizuki explained.

"**What a horrible thing to feel." **Cosmo said.

"Exactly. I felt like that every weekend. But this'll hopefully be different." Mizuki said, finding herself in front of the building. "Here goes everything." She sighed, and walked in.

The building was surprisingly lavish for a company so small. There was a huge glass front wall which looked out onto the street, black blocky furniture, white tables, and a granite receptions desk, which housed the elevator nearby. A few people walked intermittently through the lobby.

"Hi, I'm here for an interview with Miss Aisho." Mizuki said to the receptionist.

"Ah yes, the 10 o'clock appointment. Her office is on the twelfth floor, you can go right ahead." She said. As she said that, the elevator finger open, and a small group of older businessmen exited.

"Thank you." Mizuki said, and started her way up. "Cosmo, I'm gonna need you to be quiet for the next hour or so. I can't talk to you and do my interview at the same time."

"**What if I have a question about a human thing?" **Cosmo asked.

"You'll have to save it for later. This interview is really important. If I want this job, and to provide a better life for us, I have to ace this interview. It's like a duel, I have to focus." Mizuki said. She found the office she was looking for. "Please, just be quiet for now. I'll take you to do an interesting human thing later, and you can ask me anything you want." With that, Mizuki knocked on the door.

A pale, sickly looking woman opened the door. "Ah, you must be Miss Funai. Please, come in."

...

"Well Miss Funai, usually your lack of experience in the area we're looking for would not get you this position at a starting level. However, I have faith that you're a good investment for the company to make, because of your level of professionalism. Welcome to Empress City Soaps and Spa Products." Miss Aisho said. Mizuki smiled.

"Thank you so much for this opportunity. You won't regret it." Mizuki beamed.

As Miss Aisho explained how the job worked to Mizuki, Cosmo, who had been silently observing various objects all this time, felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up. Something wasn't right.

"**Mizuki, we have to go." **Cosmo warned. Mizuki just ignored her. Cosmo tried to shake her to get her attention, but her hand passed right through Mizuki's shoulder. Miss Aisho finished up and Mizuki left the room.

"Yes! I can't believe I pulled it off!" Mizuki cheered on the elevator.

"**We have to leave!" **Cosmo said nervously. "**Something doesn't feel right." **

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Mizuki asked.

"**I don't know, it just feels wrong somehow." **Cosmo said.

"I'm sure it's nothing." Mizuki said. The sight of the lobby couldn't have been more wrong. The lobby looked like it had been thrown upside down, and certain objects looked like they'd been frozen in time. In fact, it looked like everything was frozen in time. It looked like someone had attacked the lobby.

Mizuki looked around, and in the middle of the lobby was a woman on the ground and a strange looking man holding a glowing object about the size of a softball. Accompanying the man was a squat robot that looked nothing like the Litterbots she usually saw. The man squeezed the object, and it burst. He seemed to hold a card in his hand.

Mizuki froze, and somehow he didn't notice her. Thank god for the quiet elevator. The man walked off, and his robot transformed into a pair of wings to let him fly away. After a certain amount of time, a flash went off, and everything returned to normal. Glasses shattered on the floor, drinks spilled, the whole lot.

Mizuki rushed over to the receptionist. "What the hell happened?! Who was that?"

"Who was who?" She asked back. Mizuki rubbed her eyes and looked. Even the person who was attacked was gone.

"I-never mind I guess." Mizuki said. She hurriedly walked out and looked up at the sky. The man was nowhere to be seen. "So do you feel better?"

"**Something bad is going to happen. I can feel it." **Cosmo said ominously.

"Well, let's just forget about it for now. What kind of human thing do you want to do?" Mizuki asked, exiting the building.

"**No, we cannot forget about this. To do that would be our end." **Cosmo insisted.

"What are you so freaked out about?" Mizuki asked.

"**I sensed multiple Numbers in his possession. As you saw, one was enough to drive a human to insanity. Multiple might make a person dangerous." **Cosmo said.

"Well, you said I've got one and I'm fine. He doesn't even know I have one. You're stressing out too much about this." Mizuki said. "Let's go to the Rotation Cafe. It's cheap and it's always interesting there."

Cosmo huffed at Mizuki blowing her off, and relegated herself to silence. However, she couldn't help but be fascinated when they arrived. She was amazed that the little dishes came on plates that were run around the store on a complex conveyor belt.

"**So these foods travel by the belt in a circle until someone wants to eat one?" **Cosmo asked.

Mizuki smiled, knowing that Cosmo wouldn't be mad at her if she went here. "Yep. This cafe in particular is one I frequent because they have a fixed rate. 100 yen a plate for some damn good food. Their nigiri is killer."

"**Why would you eat something that kills you? If you die, I die as well, you know." **Cosmo said.

"No, it's a figure of speech. It means it's really delicious." Mizuki said, grabbing a plate of said nigiri from the belt. "This restaurant serves a bunch of different dishes from around the world, but this one's my favorite." Mizuki waved at another regular. "When I was at my lowest, Cho invited me here, and I've been fond of it ever since."

Mizuki picked out a second plate of nigiri and a bite size chocolate lava cake. Cosmo observed with a near obsession the conveyor of dishes and the concept of a lava cake. Though she didn't eat, and could only interact with certain objects in the world, she really wanted to try it. If only she had a physical body.

"See, I told you it was an interesting human thing. Remember that place, because we're not visiting again till I get my paycheck." Mizuki said, putting the money on the table and plates in a nice stack before leaving.

"**Why wouldn't we visit more often? You said it was interesting there." **Cosmo asked.

"Because if we go there too often, you'll get bored of it." Mizuki teased. On their way home, they passed through a forested park. "Besides, there are so many more things that I think you'd be interested in."

Cosmo was about to reply when she was struck with the same uneasy feeling as before. "**Mizuki, I sense the danger from before." **

"Again? Is that guy back?" Mizuki asked.

"**I believe so." **Cosmo said.

"Well, let him come then." Mizuki said.

"**Are you mad?! Mizuki, he might want our Number!" **Cosmo warned.

"So why don't we just give it to him? Why is that Number so important anyway?" Mizuki asked, and on cue, a flash went off and everything froze. Mizuki froze midstep, seeing if she could trick the man again.

Whom appeared before her, whistling a painfully knockoff version of the 'Twisted Nerve' theme made famous by Kill Bill was a guy who looked like he couldn't have been older than her, along with his squat robot. He also looked like he was some reincarnation of Seto Kaiba. He carried himself similarly, though looked very little like him, with the blond hair and blue bangs that stuck up wildly.

"**Mizuki, run! What benefit do you get from playing along?!" **Cosmo pleaded. Mizuki stayed in the act.

He looked around for a bewildered moving target. Finding none, he motioned towards his robot.

"Orbital 7, do a local scan for Number energy. Someone's trying to be a smartass." The man said, trying to be cold and unemotional, but clearly frustrated.

"You got it Boss!" The robot replied, a stutter evident. A few beeps and boops and it came back with a reply. "The Number is detected on that woman!" He said, pointing to Mizuki.

"**Mizuki, please!" **Cosmo pleaded. She had no idea what Mizuki was thinking even attempting this. Mizuki stayed stubborn.

"So, we meet again. I figured you lived here locally, but I didn't think we'd run into each other so soon." The man said smugly. Mizuki stayed still, not even looking at him. Bewildered that she would keep up the act after being caught, he spoke again. "Hey, I'm talking to you! We're going to duel, and I'm going to take your Number card!" Still no response. In frustration, the man walked over and got in her face. "Give it up! You've been caught! Stop playing possum!"

Mizuki saw her opening. With a quick dart of her eyes, she swept the man's legs and stomped on his groin while he was down. Not wasting any time, she grabbed a nearby fallen branch and ran.

"Master Kite! You ruffian, stop!" The robot tried to stop her, but Mizuki drove the branch into its neck socket and ran, hoping to damage it. She ran as far as she could, and eventually the world flickered and started moving again.

"How do we turn it off?" Mizuki asked, almost out of breath.

"**What?" **Cosmo asked, dumbfounded by her display of violence.

"The Number energy! How do we hide it?" Mizuki asked.

"**I don't know! I don't know if I can!" **Cosmo said, coming back to reality.

"Try something, anything that might work." Mizuki said, and ducked into a crowd of salarymen. "When we get out of this, you HAVE to tell me why this damn card is so important."

"**You were listening to me?" **Cosmo asked.

"You sounded like you were gonna die if you lost the card. I'm not just gonna let a friend die." Mizuki said. In a few moments, Mizuki felt a lot less confident, even with what was happening.

"**I've suppressed Number 20's energy. If he can still find us, he'll have much more trouble." **Cosmo said.

"Good. Heartland's a big city, and I'm so normal looking that I should blend in. There's thousands of people who look just like me." Mizuki said, switching to a group of younger salarywomen. She saw the man fly overhead, but if he managed to pick her out of the crowds, he didn't let on. Eventually, he left the area.

Mizuki breathed a sigh of relief. "Finally, he's gone. He was almost as persistent as my last coworker."

"Mizuki? Is that you?" A woman asked. Mizuki turned her head, and who was she walking with all this time but Cho Fukuda, her former coworker.

"Cho? You finally quit, I see." Mizuki said.

"No, the place closed down. Didn't you hear? A day after you left, the ventilation system overheated and the place burnt to the ground overnight. Asami's in ruins, everyone got laid off and we had to find new jobs."

A million thoughts raced in Mizuki's head, none of which were appropriate to say out loud. "No shit. Glad I got out then. Where do you work?"

"Empress City Soaps And Spa Products." Cho said.

"No shit! I just got hired there today! What department?" Mizuki asked.

"Manufacturing." Cho said.

"I'm your assistant manager!" Mizuki said.

"Oh my god!" Cho said excitedly.

"**Mizuki. The Number." **Cosmo reminded her.

"Hey, I have to go, but I start next week. See you there!" Mizuki waved, breaking off from the crowd.

"See you!" Cho said.

Mizuki's smile turned into a frown as she turned her back and ducked into a Konbini. She went to the bathroom and locked herself in. "Now, what the hell is so important about this card?" She asked.

"**If I lose the Number card in a duel, I will fade from existence." **Cosmo said.

"So you WILL die if I Duel this guy and lose." Mizuki said.

"**Die? What is that?" **Cosmo asked.

"Death is kid of hard to explain. I'm sure it's different for you, but when a human dies, their organs stop working, including the brain. You sort of don't exist anymore when you die. Your body is still around, and it gets buried, but you're effectively gone." Mizuki tried to explain.

"**I don't want to die, Mizuki." **Cosmo said. Her voice was trembling.

"I won't let you die, but we may have to face him eventually. We just have to be ready. Who knows how tough he is." Mizuki said, and then sighed. "We need a drink."

...

Mizuki stumbled home and opened the fridge. Stacked in the back were a few cans of Kirin Ichiban beer. She didn't really drink unless it had been a rough day, and she figured that her new roommate almost dying was a good enough excuse for a can.

"**What is that substance?" **Cosmo asked as a loud crack pierced the otherwise silent apartment.

"It's beer. There's a chemical in it that makes you relax. I don't know if you'll be affected by it, but it's worth a shot, right?" Mizuki said. She heated up some rice with the cooker and sat herself down. She was a lightweight, so she felt the effect soon after the drink was gone. She laid down and played Rimworld on her beat up old PC.

"**Mizuki, I feel...funny." **Cosmo said. Mizuki looked up. Cosmo seemed to be glowing a bit brighter. Was this her way of flushing?

"You feel ok? You're not gonna die because I had a beer are you?" Mizuki asked.

"**No, I don't feel unwell per say, just unusual. Light headed and dizzy?" **Cosmo said.

"Yeah, that's the beer. That's what it's supposed to do. Feel any better?" Mizuki asked.

"**I feel relaxed." **Cosmo said.

"Good. Enjoy it." Mizuki said, closing her laptop and going to sleep.


	4. Rank 3: Victmized

Rank 3: Victimized

Work began on Monday for Mizuki. She was surprised to find that a lot of her former coworkers were in the mix, even Daisuke. Notably missing was Lived, which instantly put her in a good mood.

Her first task was taking on the budget. It would be a big project, and an important one too. Not something that would get done in an hour, maybe not even in a day.

Lunch break rolled around before Mizuki knew it. She took a stretch and toted her lunch box down to the break room. Cho walked in soon after.

"Hey Mizuki! How's work?" Cho asked.

"Budget's going slow. This company was only started a year ago, it's got a lot of budget work to be straightened. Could take me all day." Mizuki said.

"Shame. You know, we should duel." Cho said.

"Here? I didn't even know you had a deck." Mizuki said.

"Well, I don't Duel often. We don't even need to use AR if you don't want, it could just be a table duel. " Cho said.

"Yeah, sure. Let's eat first though." Mizuki said, digging into her rice.

...

"Oh wow, I can't believe I won!" Cho said, picking up her cards. A small crowd of her coworkers had gathered to watch.

"Never had a single doubt." Mizuki said, sweeping up her cards.

"You didn't let me win, did you?" Cho asked.

"I would never!" Mizuki said, putting her deck back in her pocket. "Anyway, we should get back to work. And by that I mean I need to get back to the budget."

"You got it boss." Cho said mockingly.

...

Mizuki got home, not exhausted for once in her life. She ate the last of the rice in the cooker, cleaned it, and set it up for a new batch.

"**You let Cho win today, didn't you?" **Cosmo asked.

"Of course I did. The girl's barely as old as I am, timid as hell, and has zero confidence in herself. She needs all the wins she can get." Mizuki said.

"**Would you have let her win if she had a Number card?" **Cosmo asked.

"Of course not. That's a whole different scenario." Mizuki said.

"**Good, because you had me worried for a moment." **Cosmo said.

Mizuki sighed. "Look, we don't have to win EVERY duel, just the ones that count. And practice with Cho is as good an excuse to practice for that man as we're going to get." Mizuki said.

"**That reminds me. How did you know how to escape that situation so easily?" **Cosmo asked.

"What, by kicking a guy in the balls? I was in a martial arts club in high school. Exploiting weak areas of the body is one of the first things they teach you." Mizuki said.

"**And what about the robot?" **Cosmo asked.

"That was mostly a guess. And no, what I did to the man didn't kill him. It hurt like hell, but he's far from dead." Mizuki said.

Cosmo hummed, and the rest of the evening was uneventful.

...

It was almost lunch break the next day, and Mizuki was almost done with the budget. She was in the middle of some complex math when she heard someone approach her cubicle entrance.

"Can it wait until after lunch? I need to finish this." Mizuki said.

"Mizuki, we should duel." Cho said, grittier than usual.

"Cho, I would love to, but I have to finish this before going to lunch." Mizuki said.

"No. We duel now." Cho said, and grabbed Mizuki's arm.

"Cho, I'll be there as soon as-" Mizuki said, turning around and stopping dead. Cho looked like she was possessed.

"Uh, Cosmo?" Mizuki called out to her friend. Cosmo appeared in a shatter of yellow light.

"**Your friend is possessed by a Number." **Cosmo said.

"Cool. Let's get this then." Mizuki said. "Alright, fine. But let's make this quick."

...

The lobby was quickly packed with workers who came to watch the duel.

"That bug is mine." Cho growled.

"Don't know what you're talking about." Mizuki said, putting on her disk and gazer.

"Duel!" (LP: 4000)

"Let's get that out of your system!" Mizuki said, drawing. "I set a monster, and then two cards facedown and end my turn."

"I'll crush you!" Cho growled, drawing. "I summon 'Naturia Pumpkin' in Attack Mode!" A small green pumpkin with arms and legs sprouted from the ground. (1400/800) "And when he's summoned while you have a monster, I can summon another 'Naturia' Monster from my hand! Come forth, 'Naturia Spiderfang'!" A small spider landed on the field. (2100/400) "Now I overlay my level 4 Pumpkin and Spiderfang! I build the Overlay Network and XYZ Summon Number 82: Heartlandraco!"

The portal birthed a medium sized pink dragon, wind up key in its belly and the number 82 emblazoned on its belly within a heart and across Cho's forehead. (2000/1500)

"Now Attack, 82! Cheer Breath!" Cho declared. 82 wound up a ball of blue breath and shot it at the facedown card.

"Thanks! When 'Khonsu, Guardian of Egypt' is destroyed by battle, I can summon two more from my Deck!" Mizuki said. Two cards stuck out of her Deck, she grabbed them and put them on the board.

"You're wasting my time!" Cho shouted. "I set one card facedown and end my turn."

"It's not a waste if I'm getting that Number out!" Mizuki said, drawing. "What do you think? Should I go for the Tribute and keep that man off our trail, or do we need the Number?"

"**Only a Number can destroy a Number." **Cosmo said.

"I'll take that as a vouch for the Number." Mizuki said. "I overlay both my level 3 Khonsus! With this, I build my own Overlay Network, and XYZ Summon Number 20: Giga Brilliant!" (1800/1800)

"You went -2 for that?! What a waste!" Cho leered.

"You'll see differently. I use both of Giga's Overlay Units to give it a 600 Attack point boost!" (1800-2400/1800) Giga chittered in excitement. "Now go, Attack 82 with Chittering Bite!"

"I activate 'Naturia Forest'!" Cho said. Before Giga could slice 82 in half, it was repelled by the vegetation overtaking the field. "This Field Spell might not benefit 82 in the traditional way, but when I have a face up spell on the field, he can't be targeted for an attack!"

"Crap." Mizuki growled.

"Crap is right!" Cho said, drawing. "Now I'll use one Overlay unit to Attack you directly!"

"Go, Battle of the Gods!" Mizuki said. The Trap Card flipped up, and 82's Attack fizzled out.

"What's this?!" Cho asked incredulously.

"This Trap negates your Attack, and then the monsters with the most original Attack on each side of our field must battle. Since we each only have one, you know where this is going."

"No!" Cho wailed. 82 and Giga engaged in battle, ending with 82's decapitation. (Cho's LP: 4000-3600)

"I end my turn." Cho growled.

"I draw!" Mizuki said. "I summon 'Anubis, Guardian of Egypt'! (1700/1500) And I use his special ability to bring back 'Khonsu, Guardian of Egypt'! (1900/100) I place one card facedown and end my turn."

"I draw!" Cho said. "I summon 'Naturia Guardian'!" A large tree sprouted up. (1600/400) "He gets 300 Attack if you normal summon a monster. I end my turn."

"What corner of Second Gen did that crawl out of?" Mizuki asked, drawing. "I tribute my 'Khonsu' to summon 'Sekhmet, Guardian of Egypt'!" From the heavens emerged a woman with a lioness' head and two khopeshes with a mighty roar. (2500/2000) Then I'll play the Spell card 'Into the Duat', which gives Sekhmet 1000 Attack and Defense! (2500-3500/2000-3000) Now Attack with Chittering Bite, and then with Plague Raze!"

While Giga took a bite out of Guardian, Sekhmet sliced Cho with a graceful spin of her khopeshes. (Cho's LP: 3600-0. Winner: Mizuki.)

Cosmo took the card almost immediately from Cho's soul. Cho, having fallen to the floor after her defeat, clutched her head in a daze. "Ugh, what happened?" She asked.

"You good?" Mizuki asked, helping her up. "Where'd you get that card anyway?"

"It was on my table at home last night. Why?" Cho asked.

"Just wondering." Mizuki said.

"Yeah, my window was open too. I don't think anyone broke in though..." Cho said.

"_That implies that someone left her the card, if the window was opened on purpose at least." _Mizuki thought.

...

"We're getting into some deep shit, aren't we, Cosmo?" Mizuki asked, walking to the train stop after work.

"**What does that phrase mean?" **Cosmo asked.

"What it means, is that we're taking on more than we can. I think someone may have given Cho her Number."

"**My thoughts exactly. To my knowledge, Numbers do not just appear to people at random." **Cosmo said.

"What should we do then?" Mizuki asked.

"**At this point in time, we can't do anything but prepare." **Cosmo said.

"I figured that would be how you answered." Mizuki said.


	5. Rank 4: An Unlikely Ally

Rank 4: An Unlikely Ally

"Finally, the weekend is here!" Mizuki said as she walked out of work.

"**Weekend? What holiday is this?" **Cosmo asked.

"It's not a holiday, I just don't have to work for a couple days." Mizuki explained.

"Mizuki, wait up!" Cho said, waving her down. "A few of us are going to karaoke in a few hours, you wanna meet us there?"

"Yeah sure, which place?" Mizuki asked.

"Honda's. We'll see you there at 17?" Cho said.

"See you then!" Cho said, and the two parted ways.

"**Karaoke? What is that?" **Cosmo asked.

"It's when you rent out a room at a bar and do amateur singing." Mizuki explained.

"**Singing?" **Cosmo asked.

"You've heard me sing. It's when I make those noises that aren't quite words." Mizuki said.

"**Oh, that was singing? I did not know humans could sing while asleep." **Cosmo said.

Mizuki flushed red. "No, you have to be awake while singing. I don't know what you heard, but it probably wasn't singing." She said, lying about knowing what she heard. Cosmo didn't need to know about THAT yet.

...

Mizuki finished brushing out her hair. A white dress with a red trim that faded in the shapes of birds felt very comfortable. Slipping on green high heeled sandals, she locked up the apartment and started for the train. A five minute ride later, she walked into Honda's Karaoke.

As expected for a Friday night, the place was packed. Honda's was a small place, but really popular due to its location. The smell of booze and tempura wafted through the bar.

She waddled her way through the crowded bar, and it was only when she got to the hallway leading to the karaoke rooms that she realized Cho never told her which room she was renting. One by one, she opened the doors. There was no one in the first two rooms, and upon opening the third room, she was overwhelmed.

Inside was a group of high school age students. A green haired girl, a grey haired girl that straight up looked like a cat, a larger black haired kid, a smaller blue haired kid, a very pale and thin kid with a blue faux hawk, a black haired kid whose spiked hair and pink bangs made him look like a lobster, and most importantly, the same man who had stopped time two weeks ago and his squat robot.

The group and Mizuki stared at each other for what seemed like infinity, before Mizuki slowly closed the door and ran like Hell's demons were on her heels. A flash went off as soon as she cleared the bar, and time stopped.

"**Wait Mizuki! Something was unusual about that human." **Cosmo said.

"Is it worth possibly losing your life over?" Mizuki said, ducking down an alley.

"**He might have once been one of me. He might know why I'm here!" **Cosmo said.

"Can it wait for different circumstances?" Mizuki asked. Suddenly her arm was yanked back, and she slipped and fell on the concrete. She glanced up, and a glowing cord wrap around her hand. In the entrance of the alley was the man, pulling the cord and her towards him. Thinking fast, she flipped to face him and wedged her heels on two upright poles, keeping her from going any further.

"What do you want from me?!" Mizuki screamed.

"I want your Number!" The man said.

"No! She'll die if I give it to you!" Mizuki screamed. The man dropped the cord at that, but it didn't disappear. Mizuki thumped on the ground.

"Kite, what the hell, you still use that thing?" Another voice asked. Into her view wandered the lobster haired boy and the faux hawk boy not far behind.

"It still works. I got her, and I'll soon have her Number too." Kite said.

"You didn't challenge her to a Duel?" The lobster boy asked.

"Haven't gotten a chance. She's a runner, she won't agree to it." Kite said.

As the two argued, Mizuki noticed that her hand was slipping out of the cord. Slowly, she worked her hand out of the knot, took off her shoes, and snuck away. As she ran home, the flash went off, and time resumed. She hid in a nearby konbini and didn't leave for hours.

"What do you mean, 'He may once have been one of me'?" Mizuki asked out of the blue.

"**What?" **Cosmo asked.

"You said one of those teenagers may have been one of you. What does that mean?" Mizuki asked.

"**It could be that he's gathered all 100 Numbers, and gained a physical body at one point. If that's the case, we have a new incentive to collect them." **Cosmo said.

"Wait, which one do you think collected them?" Mizuki asked.

"**The pale one with the blue hair." **Cosmo said.

Mizuki hummed in agreement. "Well, he can't have all of them. We've got two. We're one 50th of the way there."

"**Then it's settled. Going forward, our goal is to collect all 100 Number cards." **Cosmo said.

"Good luck to us." Mizuki said.

...

The next afternoon, Mizuki went for a walk, and of course, Cosmo went with her.

"Do you think that that Kite guy is fighting for a Space Nymph too?" Mizuki asked.

"**Space Nymph?" **Cosmo asked.

"Yeah. Since you don't remember what your race is called, I made a name up. Do you find it offensive or...?" Mizuki asked.

"**What is a Nymph?" **Cosmo asked.

"It's just a sort of catch all term for beautiful forest spirits." Mizuki said.

"**You think I am pleasing to look at?" **Cosmo asked.

Mizuki flushed. "Well, when you put it like that, yeah." She said. The conversation was interrupted by a school bell. Through her aimless wandering, the two had ended up outside the local high school. She almost continued onwards but a conversation kept her attention.

"So the Numbers really are back?" A voice asked. Turning her head, she saw the same group she had at the karaoke bar the night before, minus Kite.

"That's what Kite said. He said he's already nabbed three of them." The lobster haired boy said. Mizuki noticed that the pale kid was staring at her, or rather, at Cosmo. Could he see her?

The pale kid said something to the lobster kid, and Mizuki turned to hurry off.

"Hey, wait!" The lobster kid said, and he and the pale kid started after her. Mizuki started to walk faster. Suddenly she felt a huge weight on her foot. She turned around to see that the kid had grabbed onto her leg.

"No! I'm not dueling you!" Mizuki said.

"I just wanna talk!" The lobster kid said.

"Bullshit!" Mizuki said.

"I swear! I know what'll happen if you lose. I've been there!" Lobster boy said. "I don't wanna kill your Astral Being!"

"Stay away from Cosmo!" Mizuki said, finally wrenching her foot from his grip and running away.

...

"Why do I always end up in a konbini?" Mizuki sighed as she finished pouring her slushy. "I don't know what to do, Cosmo. Enemies seem like they're behind every corner."

"**Perhaps they are not our enemies like you believe them to be." **Cosmo said.

"Maybe. But how am I gonna know if I give them a chance to hurt us?" Mizuki said.

"**I thought that's the opposite way that humans thought." **Cosmo said.

"Not me. You saw what happened when I trusted my job security." Mizuki said. As she turned around, she saw the lobster boy and the pale boy enter the shop. She squatted down and crept around the aisles, trying to sneak around to pay for her slushy. Luckily, or perhaps unluckily, the more enthusiastic of the duo went to the bathroom, leaving her with the silent observer. She quickly paid and left, the pale kid staring her down the entire time.

...

"**He definitely used to be one of me." **Cosmo said as the two approached the apartment.

"And he just gained a physical body by collecting all 100 Numbers?" Mizuki asked.

"**That is my theory, yes." **Cosmo said. "**It is a legend among my memories that if you collect all 100 Numbers, they will grant you a wish." **

"And he wished to be human?" Mizuki asked as they walked in and Mizuki shut the door.

"**I believe so." **Cosmo said.

"So that begs the question. When we get all 100 Numbers, what are you gonna wish for?" Mizuki asked. Before Cosmo could answer, there was a knock on the door. Mizuki peeked out the peephole, it was the lobster kid and the pale kid. Mizuki locked the door.

"We just wanna talk lady!" The lobster boy said, knocking on the door again.

"Go away! You can't hurt her if you can't get in!" Mizuki said. Cosmo peeked her head through the door. Both teens looked up at her.

"**Mizuki, they carry no weapons. They are not here to harm you." **Cosmo said. Mizuki said nothing. A small conversation between Cosmo and the teens that Mizuki couldn't hear through the door. She eventually ducked back in.

"Miss Funai? My name is Astral. It may interest you to know that I was once much like Cosmo. We mean you no harm." The pale boy said, speaking in a calm and methodical voice. Mizuki opened the door, but kept the door chain on.

"If you two are so harmless, why do you associate with Kite?" Mizuki asked.

"Cause he's our friend, of course." Lobster boy said.

"If you are his friend, then you want to kill Cosmo by taking our Numbers." Mizuki said. She went to close the door, but lobster boy wedged his foot in.

"What kind of logic is that? Just because we're his friend doesn't mean we share his ideals." Lobster boy said.

"It's logic that's kept me safe." Mizuki said.

"Miss Funai. The Numbers are dangerous, that much is certain. However, Yuma and I have no other stake to collect them. I already got my greatest desire. We are not going to harm you." Astral insisted.

Mizuki reconsidered her thought process. Maybe she was being too jumpy. When Yuma took his foot out of the door, she closed it and undid the lock.

"And he won't hurt her?" Mizuki asked.

"No way. We'll explain everything to Kite." Yuma said.

"Alright." Mizuki said. "I'll see you around Heartland."


End file.
